Eli Holstein injury update: Pittsburgh QB’s status for GameAbove Sports Bowl vs. Toledo exposed

Although Eli Holstein has over a month to recover, he is not on the field today. QB1 will now be out for the last draft of the fall Pittsburgh.

According to reporting by Bill Hillgrove, Holstein is unavailable today for this afternoon’s matchup mod Toledo in the GameAbove Sports Bowl. With that, David Lynch, a walk-on coming off his redshirt freshman season, will be the starting quarterback for the Panthers in Detroit.

This comes after Holstein was injured during a sack in a loss at Louisville — the team’s season-worst at 37-9 — on Nov. 23. He was carted off the track with a leg injury when it was launched, and he also had to leave that day on crutches. Nate Yarnell, who has since entered the transfer portal, then had to start in the regular season finale in what was a loss at Boston College.

Despite missing two games while dealing with several other injuries, Holstein, a redshirt freshman, had a quality year in his first season as a collegiate starter as well as at Pitt. He was 180-291 (61.9%) for 2,225 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions this fall.

Holstein, though more mobile earlier in the season, rushed for 328 yards and a touchdown. It was the first moments in college for Holstein, a former four-star and a Top-10 QB recruit in ’23, after transferring last offseason from Alabama.

Lynch (66.7% completion for 46 yards and a pick) has appeared in a few games this season. Now he will make his first collegiate start in place of Holstein today in their bowl game.